The Insignia was a giant leap for Vauxhall, even though it was a relatively small step for today’s car-styling kind, writes Phil Vaughan.

There must have been some sharp intakes of breath in the GM boardroom when the Insignia family car was first mooted.

 See more pics of the new Insignia in our gallery below.

After all, it couldn’t have been easy to move out of the Vauxhall company car comfort zone of the bland and functional Vectra template to embrace the expressive, nay emotional, Insignia.

But it has paid off. It was instantly awarded the prestigious 2009 Car of the Year title, and if there was a sub-category for Rear of the Year, the Insignia would win that, too.

This is wheels with presence, a rear-end that is now immediately recognisable as Insignia, and it was an altogether bold act for a mass producer to veer away from its fleet car norm into far more fashionable territory.

The right engine

And the secret of getting the best out of that big-coupe look that the five-door hatchback version has, is to buy the right engine.

The 1.8-litre petrol unit was found to be only mediocre, and doesn’t really wake up until it hits the motorway.

It needs pushing hard through the six-speed manual gearbox to get the best out of it, and you’re always left with wanting more urge.

That’s particularly true when the car is fully loaded – it isn’t that shy of five metres long, will seat five adults in good comfort and gobble 520 litres of cargo – and you don’t see the best of the torque until close-on 4,000rpm.

Stronger

Opt, then, for the 2.0-litre turbo if you want more pace, or the 2.0-litre diesel if a stronger towing ability is demanded.

The 1796cc petrol engine puts out 138bhp, and mpg returns are middling – from 47.1mpg on the open-country cycle, down to 36.2mpg overall.

Average, also, is the 0 to 60mph time – 10.9 seconds, although this Insignia will sit better with regular European travellers with its top speed of 129mph.

Roomier

The Insignia gets top marks for stretching the basic boot space to a sizeable 1,460 litres with the parcel shelf removed and rear seats down, and clever cabin planning makes the rear accommodation far roomier than it looks from the outside.

Supplied was a fairly basic model, the 1.8 Exclusiv Nav, but it neither looked, or felt, like one. Nav in the title points it towards long-distance use, and this model is priced at £17,920.

It was pleasing to see cruise control – we’re back to the 1.8′s fair M-way ability there – trip computer, air conditioning, a driver’s seat with electric lumbar adjustment, and automatic lighting in with the package, as they’re all fleet-business bait.

Top-rate extra’s

Only the front windows were electrically operated, but the powered door mirrors were also heated, and the safety fixtures and fittings – electronic stability, full-size curtain airbags, front seat side-impact airbags among them – were top rate.

The Insignia’s flowing dashboard also has a strong designer feel to it – and makes several rivals’ layouts look decidedly mundane.

There’s nice, thoughtful details here and there, too – a covered hatch-door release, for instance, means you will never get fingers wet or dirty.

By Phil Vaughan

BUMPER TO BUMPER

Car: Vauxhall Insignia 1.8 Exclusiv Nav 5-dr £17,920. Insignia hatchbacks from 1.8 Exclusiv (£16,640) to 2.8V6 4×4 Elite Nav (£29,320). Saloons and estates available.

Bodyshell/drivetrain: 4.83m by 1.86m, 5-dr hatchback; 1796cc, 138bhp 4-cylinder engine, driving front wheels through 6-speed manual gearbox.

Company car tax liability: 184g per km C02 emissions (24% of cost of car when new, taxed).

Performance/economy: top speed 129mph, 0-60mph in 10.9 seconds. Official fuel figures: city 25.9mpg, country 47.1mpg, combined 36.2mpg.

Fuel tank: 70 litres.

Insurance group: 7.

Warranty: three years/60,000 miles.

Website: www.vauxhall.co.uk